FAM ignores local player transfers

Transfers of players on the domestic scene could be messy because FAM shies away from responsibility by, against Fifa regulations, mandating the Super League of Malawi (Sulom) to handle them, an expert has noted.

Football Association of Malawi (FAM) transfer matching system (TMS) manager Casper Jangale on Tuesday said they mandated Sulom and administrators of regional leagues to handle their respective transfers, but player scout-cum-football consultant Felix Ngamanya Sapao said this contravenes Fifa regulations.

Sapao, who manages Digital Arts Media & Sports Limited in Blantyre, quoted Fifa Regulations of The Status and Transfer of Players Article 1.2 & 3.

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“The following provisions are binding at national level and must be included without modification in the association’s regulations:

“The transfer of players between clubs belonging to the same association is governed by specific regulations issued by the association concerned in accordance with Article 1 Paragraph 3 below, which must be approved by Fifa,” reads the website.

In this regard, Sapao noted that Sulom is only permitted to license players after FAM’s approval of a local transfer.

In the current scenario, Sulom does all the transactions as long as concerned parties agree.

But Jangale defended FAM: “Local transfers are regulated by whoever is managing the league. We gave them the mandate. We are just an overseer. As of now, the powers of transferring players are not with FAM, but once the licensing system is in place, from next year, this will be the case,” said Jangale.

However, Sapao said it is only Jangale who should be handling transfers so that when there is confusion as is the case with Tony Chitsulo’s transfer from Silver Strikers to Mighty Wanderers, someone is held responsible.

“Fifa has put in place a computerised system and trained Jangale as the officer to handle the Transfer Matching System (TMS) be it local or international.

“From my knowledge of the regulations, only one person is permitted to sign all club licences and that is the general secretary of Sulom supported and witnessed by the TMS officer of FAM,” Sapao argued.

Sulom general secretary Williams Banda on Wednesday admitted that while Sapao’s observation is correct, the league has “delegated powers’ to handle the domestic transfers as they created affiliates to oversee issue on their [FAM] behalf and the players are registered by us.”